Start from the pier or wharf construction and the buildings on it, then trace substructure protection, fire water supply and hydrants, sprinklers in sheds and warehouses, and fire department access through every discipline. AI can flag conflicts; the designer and the authority having jurisdiction decide compliance.
What does NFPA 307 cover?
NFPA 307 is the Standard for the Construction and Fire Protection of Marine Terminals, Piers, and Wharves. NFPA describes it as providing requirements to protect against loss of life and property from fire and explosion at marine terminals, piers, and wharves.
NFPA’s official NFPA 307 page identifies the 2026 edition as current when checked on October 5, 2026. Confirm the edition, local amendments, and project scope that actually govern the work. The publisher’s newest edition does not establish local adoption.
Recreational docking is a separate subject in the NFPA 303 marina guide. Buildings on a terminal also follow the building code and the sprinkler standards in the NFPA 13 guide, and fuel or hazardous cargo handling may involve the NFPA 30 flammable liquids guide. Record which documents apply to each structure.
Start from the deck and the substructure
Bring the pier or wharf general arrangement, the structural deck and substructure drawings, the fire walls or draft curtains drawn below the deck, the fire water main and hydrant drawings, the sprinkler drawings for sheds and warehouses, the cargo handling and storage plans, the fire department access and apparatus plans, the electrical drawings, and the specifications.
Note the construction type of the deck and substructure. The questions under the deck depend on it, and the structural and fire protection sheets should describe it the same way.
Trace protection on and under the deck
| Review question | Sources to compare | Decision to record |
|---|---|---|
| Construction | Structural drawings, general notes, code analysis | Confirm the deck and substructure construction is described the same way in every source. |
| Substructure protection | Fire protection plans, structural sections, details | Check that any substructure protection or subdivision drawn below the deck matches the structural framing. |
| Water supply | Fire main plans, hydrant layout, civil drawings | Trace the fire main along the pier to hydrants and connections and match it across sheets. |
| Buildings on the pier | Architectural plans, sprinkler drawings, specifications | Identify sheds or warehouses whose protection differs between the architectural and fire protection sheets. |
| Cargo and storage | Cargo handling plans, storage layouts, narrative | Compare the cargo and storage arrangement with the protection basis the narrative states. |
| Access | Apparatus access plan, structural load notes, site plan | Confirm the drawn apparatus routes reach hydrants and connections on the deck. |
Carry fire mains into the NFPA 24 fire main guide, fire walls into the NFPA 221 fire wall guide, and structure into the structural drawing checklist.
Example: an extended wharf without hydrants
Hypothetical example. A wharf extension adds a new berth beyond the existing warehouse. The structural drawings and general arrangement show the extension, but the fire main drawings stop at the old end of the wharf, and the apparatus access plan shows no route to the new berth.
The general arrangement and structural drawings include a wharf extension, but the fire main drawings and apparatus access plan stop at the previous end of the wharf. Please confirm the water supply and access for the new berth.
The designer extends the drawings or confirms the basis. Whether the arrangement meets the adopted standard is the designer’s and authority’s decision.
Review a pier or wharf package with Groundbook
Upload the current project PDFs and relevant specifications to Groundbook. Identify the governing issues and add the applicable NFPA 307 reference from a copy you are licensed to use, where the license permits uploading it. State the edition, amendments, review area, and known exclusions in your instructions.
Compare the general arrangement, structural deck and substructure drawings, fire protection drawings, fire main and hydrant drawings, sprinkler drawings for buildings, cargo and storage plans, apparatus access plan, and specifications. Flag construction, substructure protection, water supply, building protection, storage, and access that differ between sources. Use the supplied NFPA 307 edition where applicable and cite both sources.
Groundbook links each potential finding to the sheets behind it. It compares the documents with each other and with the references you supply; it does not size systems or check structural capacity.
Document review does not size fire protection, check deck capacity for apparatus, or approve the facility. Those decisions remain with the designer, the structural engineer, and the authority having jurisdiction.